1. Field
Embodiments of the invention relate to the field of packaging, and more specifically, to tape automated bonding.
2. Background
Tape Automated Bonding (TAB) is a packaging technique to provide a fine pitch interconnection of a chip to a prefabricated copper fingers and traces on a tape. The interconnections are patterned on a multi-layer polymer tape. The tape is positioned above the die so that the metal tracks on the polymer tape correspond to the bonding sites on the die.
Although TAB technology offers some advantages over wire bonding technology, it has a number of disadvantages. For high pin count semiconductor devices, the inner lead bond pads are formed around the die comer, leaving little space to form the tie bar to make the die bond pad on the TAB tape. Narrow tie bars may be formed but there will not be enough mechanical strength to maintain precise die pad locations. To provide precise inner lead bonding, the single point lead bonder needs to have a capability to hold the individual die and align with the TAB tape precisely during the inner lead bonding. This process requires expensive tooling for the die handling system and the die alignment system.